The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1887-05-05
wonrn rHnNK,NG ABour.

actively for the construction of manufac'
turing interests in their town and Coun.
ty, and by way of getting information,
wrote to Col. II. P. Hammett, president
of the Piedmont and other mills in and
neal Greenville, which are p.oying won
derfully successful Col. Hammett is
one of the most practical and able mana
gers of manufacturing interests in the
South. His views as given to the people
of Laurens are practical, and worthy of
the most careful consideration of all of
our people. He says:
GREENv1LLE, S. c., March %, 1887.
Msssrs. Gary q: Sullivan, Laurens, s. c.
.-GESrIE,lES: Your letter Of the oath
inst, was duly received, in which you
ask my opinion as to the practicahility
of building cotton mill at Laurens to
be driven by steam power, and advisa.
bility.
Where water power is conveniently
locsted to transportation facilities and
the power itself is easily and cheaply
controlled, and is free from danger of
damage by high water, and the water
supply is ample the whole year and the
location is healthy, it is very much bet.
ter and cheaper than steam, because the
expense of the power after it is controlled
is very small, whereas steam power iss
taxed with daily expense for fuel,
firemen, engineers, &c. But the advan.
tapes of water over steam power can be
practically overcome by the inconven.
fence of it's location and the absence Of
some or all of the other essentials have
mentioned. The perfection to which
steam power has been brought and the
cheapness of fuel, with the prospect of
its still being cheaper when other and
new coal deposits are developed with
railroad facilities in every direction, is
constantly economiziDg steam power and
reducing its expense as compared with
water. Some of the best and most sue.
cessful cotton mills in the country, and
at the South, ere now being driven by
steam power, and that is likely to
increase as the country, grows older, and
that Industry increases with it, as we'll
as mauy other industries that are likely
to be developed and that can be pro6ta.
bio here. t
It strikes me that Laurens is favora-
BILE location for. cotton mill. You have
there many of the elements necessary to
success. such as an abundance of the
most desirable kind of labor, good
cotton market, healthy. climate, cheap
living, good railroad facilities, &C., and
if I were considering investing in cot.
ion mill there, should not object seri.
ously that it was to be driven by steam.
The first thing to do is to raise the
capital stock, and you must get. Q large
part of that at home. It will be idle for
you to attempt to raise it, or any consid.
erable part of it, elsewhere, unless your
own people gointo it freely and literally
themselves. Capitalists are too cautious
and timid, and wisely 80, to send their
money into "a community to develop and
build it up where the people living in it
are afraid to, or will not, put their money
in it, and this has prevented several
enterprises that promised we'll from being
carried out, to my knowledge in this
State. Capitalists want the people at
home largely identified with any enter.
prise they put their money into. They
want this to protect it against local pref.
udices, adverse legislation, and that it
shall have the moral support of the peo.
pie living around it.
Your capital stock being raised, the
next thing is to decide upon the kind of
goods to be made, and in this Iwould
depart somewhat from the kinds made by
most of the mills around, which are for
the most part standard to three yard
sheetings. 7 would make finer aud
lighter goods. The tendency of con.
sumption is in that direction, and you
would have less competition in introduc.
ing and selling your goods. 1t would
take less commercial capital, and reduce
your interest account as we'll.
After that is decided, then employ q
first class mill engineer to make your
plans, and follow them to the letter.
You can't first build your building and
then buy machinery to go in it. Itwon't
fit. You must. first decide upon the
machinery, and then build building
that will take it in. Many enterprises
have been fatally ruined by trying to
economize in this particular. The
expense of your plans may appear large,
but it will be the cheapest thing you pay
for, and you must be careful in your
selection of an engineer, and be sure that
YOU get one of the most skillful, one who
is thoroughly educated in his profession,
and can include in his plans the advan.
tages of all modern improvements and
conyeniences for cheapening the cost and
improving the quality Of our goods.
The style of your mill and its capacity
should be measured by the amount of
money you have 10 spend. Don't 60
blind and find yourself in debt when
your mill is completed. More enter.
prises have failed and gone into bank
ruptcy from that cause than from all
Others combined. Keep within your
means. Your plans should be made and
careful estimates mace of their cost,
strictly with reference to your ability to
pay, and if you can't pay for it don't
begin. You can construct your building
according to your plans, and only partly
I'LL it with machinery, if you have not
enough money to fill it oil at once. and
you can fill the balance when you can
pay for it, but keep out of debt.
You may estimate that twenty-five
dollars per spindle is the least you will
build your mill for, to make heavy goods.
It is more likely to cost more than less,
and upon this estimate you might con.
struct q building that would take in
10000 spindles and 300 looms, and only
put in 5000 spindles and $50 looms at
first, with paid up capital of 100000.
This would probably leave you some.
thing for commercial capital while you
were organizing and introducing your
goods, which you will find almost indis.
pensable to you. Then be very carefnl
to buy the very best machinery. My
experience is that the beat that is made
is not good enough. Then have it set up
and started by competent men. The
shops where it is built, generally send
out their men for that purpose. They
prefer to do it; and then after all, the
success or failure of mill depends upon
its management inside and outside, after
it has been completed and ready to start.
1t is great mistake to suppose that the
difficulties end when it is completed and
ready to start, They commence from